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2:14pm: Mr Shorten will not say if he has given up hope of forming government in his own right: "The Australian people have spoken. We now need to have some patience, we need to let the AEC count the votes.....We will be constructive and work with people in goodwill in the Parliament."
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He is not entertaining any suggestion that his position is under threat: "For myself, I have never been more certain of my leadership than I am this morning."
2:10pm: Mr Shorten, flanked by his family, is now speaking.
He says although there is no clear result "there is clearly on loser - Malcolm Turnbull's agenda for Australia".
Mr Shorten has begun talking to crossbenchers on issues such as health, education and the National Broadband Network.
1:29pm: Mr Turnbull says "the reason the result was not clear last night was that around a third of Australians voted in pre polling or via a postal vote".
"That will determine the result in as many as 12 undecided seats and there may be recounts in other close contests. I suspect that we will see seats moving from one side of the ledger to the other until the count is completed at the end of the week."
He notes that postal and pre poll votes tend to favour the Coalition which means the likelihood is a majority Coalition government.
1:31pm: Mr Turnbull has called the MPs who lost their seats to offer his thanks and sadness that they will be leaving.
"Above all, Australians seek greater certainty, greater clarity, stability in their government," Mr Turnbull goes on.
"I can promise all Australians that we will dedicate our efforts to ensuring that the state of new Parliament is resolved without division or rancour. The expectation is on all of us, especially me as Prime Minister, to get on with the job. Australians have my absolute commitment, as Prime Minister, that I will be working to that goal....We need to demonstrate to Australians that their Parliament can work to achieve the outcomes this nation needs on the issues that matter to Australians."
1:25pm: Mr Turnbull is speaking.
"I remain quietly confident that a majority Coalition government will be returned," he says.
He notes it will be some days before that is confirmed.
11:22am: What is Mr Turnbull doing?
Things might look quiet outside his Point Piper home but inside it is a hive of activity. Calls are being made. To independents in particular.
Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie, who increased his vote yesterday, says he spoke with Mr Turnbull earlier this morning.
He described both Mr Turnbull and Mr Shorten as "decent" and says he reminded Mr Turnbull of his comments about not making deals with independents.
"If there is a confidence or a no confidence motion being debated in the chamber it is about the merits of that motion," Mr Wilkie says.
10:05am: The Senate?
If you think the results in the House of Representatives are erratic have a look at what's going on in the Senate.
The ABC is predicting it will look something like this - the Coalition on 30 (down 3), Labor on 27 (down 2), the Greens on 9 (down 1), 3 to the Nick Xenophon Team, 2 to One Nation, one each to Derryn Hinch, Jacqui Lambie, Fred Nile's Christian Democratic Party and the Liberal Democratic Party and then one more which is likely to go to one of the independents already mentioned.
In an introduction to an interview with Nick Xenophon ABC host Barrie Cassidy says "a circus tent will have to be erected out the front of Parliament House".
Senator Xenophon tartly assures Cassidy that "there are no circus animals in the studio".
8.53am: Where is the count up to?
There were some discontent last night (or was it very early this morning?) when Malcolm Turnbull said voting would not restart until Tuesday.
The Australian Electoral Commission has just released a statement explaining what is going on.
"On election night, the AEC counted more than 11 million House of Representatives votes. These included the votes cast in polling places on election day and votes cast in early voting centres. The AEC also conducted a first preference count of Senate ballot papers cast in polling places," the statement says.
"The AEC's focus today [Sunday] is on the declaration vote exchange. The declaration vote exchange is where the large numbers of absent, interstate, postal and other declaration votes are reconciled, sorted and packaged ready for despatch to the home division from Monday. Only once the declaration votes are received and processed in the home division can the counting of these votes begin. Any counting today will be limited to the small numbers of votes collected by AEC mobile teams."
"On Monday, the AEC will continue the process of verifying more than one million postal votes already returned to the AEC so that they can be admitted to the count beginning on Tuesday. The legislation requires that postal votes are included in the count if the vote is received by the Returning Officer within 13 days of election day. In parallel, the count of Senate pre-poll ordinary votes and any remaining House of Representatives ordinary pre-poll votes not already counted on Saturday night may also start on Monday.
So there you go - not slacking off.
7.45am: A little recap
Hello, if you're just waking up, here's a short re-cap on what has happened and what may yet:
- Two Illawarra incumbents have held onto their seats – Sharon Bird in Cunningham and Stephen Jones in Whitlam. Ann Sudmalis predicts she’ll win Gilmore.
- Neither the Coalition nor Labor can claim enough seats to form government in their own right.
- Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says he is confident the Coalition will be able to form government. "We are the only party that have the ability or possibility of doing that," he said.
- But Labor leader Bill Shorten, who has not ruled out Labor forming a minority government, says Turnbull will have "no mandate." A beaming Shorten declared: "The Labor Party is back."
- Recriminations have already started in Coalition ranks after about a 3% swing away from the government.
- The Electoral Commission is crediting 66 lower house seats to the Coalition, 72 to Labor, and 5 to independents and minor parties. Seven seats are not yet determined. The Coalition is likely to win 74, Fairfax has reported. Either side needs 76 seats to establish government.
- The tallying of the final votes will take days or weeks.
- In the Senate, Pauline Hanson is due to return to Parliament. Derryn Hinch, once a Fairfax journalist and more latterly a shock-jock, is likely to win a Victorian Senate seat.
9.55: Thanks to the South Coast Register, here is Ann Sudmalis addressing her supporters. She appears set to hold her seat. As far as the overall race for power it could be a long night or into tomorrow before we know. Follow the link above.
9.40: ANDREW PEARSON WITH WHITLAM’S FIRST ELECTED MEMBER STEPHEN JONES.
9.20: GILMORE 71,351 votes counted (57 of 65 places returned, 57.89% counted)
- RYAN (Nile Group) 3370 (first preference)
- SUDMALIS (Liberal) 30,046
- McCALLUM (Greens) 7216
- PHILLIPS (Labor) 27,627
Certainly firming in favour of the Coalition’s Ann Sudmalis.
9.00: Conjecture over whether the Coalition gets a majority government reigns. While Cunningham and Whitlam have remained with Labor, it’s important to look at the inroads or otherwise of the Coalition. In both seats it appears as though there’ll be a swing for Labor, though only a small one in Cunningham.
8.52: Ann Sudmalis at the South Coast gathering.
8.48: Parliamentary Secretary for the Illawarra Gareth Ward:
“Gilmore is still too close to call and Ann is still in front. Pre-poll is still to be counted, but is has been a dreadful campaign of lies on ‘Medi-scare’ from Labor. Congratulations to my friend Stephen Jones on his re-election.”
8.40: Andrew Pearson with Sharon Bird.
8.35: Sharon Bird addresses the throng.
8.30: Sweet victory for Sharon:
8.20: GILMORE 69.959 votes counted (50 of 65 places returned, 43.37% counted)
- RYAN (Nile Group) 3146 (first preference)
- SUDMALIS (Liberal) 27,515
- McCALLUM (Greens) 6615
- PHILLIPS (Labor) 25,735
Ann Sudmalis looking like she may hold just …...
Figgie Bowlo decked out for Sharon Bird’s arrival _
8.10: WHITLAM 46,433 votes counted (22 of 53 polling places returned, 24.7% counted)
- HUNT (Greens) 3544 (firsty preference)
- MANDELSON (Nationals) 2425
- HARTMAN (Equal Parenting) 902
- JONES (Labor) 24450
- PINSUTI (Nile Group) 1883
- HEWITT (Liberal) 10.229
8.00: Labor Keira MP and NSW Shadow Treasurer Ryan Park _
“It looks like we've got a good result with Sharon (Bird, Cunningham) and Stephen (Jones, Whitlam) and Gilmore is very close. It’s a lot closer than I would have thought. Fiona ran a very good good campaign , but it’s a difficult seat and it will go down to the wire.’’
7.40: Labor has called Cunningham for Sharon Bird and Stephen Jones for Whitlam it’s still close in Gilmore.
7.50: While Labor looks home in Whitlam and Cunningham it may yet pick up Gilmore.
GILMORE 47,025 votes counted (47 of 65 places returned, 29.10% counted)
- RYAN (Nile Group) 2295 (first preference)
- SUDMALIS (Liberal) 19,302
- McCALLUM (Greens) 4647
- PHILLIPS (Labor) 18,616
7.35: CUNNINGHAM 27,634 votes counted (10 of 49 polling places returned, .42% counted)
- BLAKEY (Greens) 3803 (first preference
- WATERS (Science) 634
- BLICAVS (Liberal) 7483
- RYAN (Nile Group) 1003
- BIRD (Labor) 12,958
- FLANAGAN (Equal Parenting) 347
Sharon Bird still looking strong. Swings to Labor in Gilmore and seats in Tasmania are being heralded as a sign pressure is mounting on the Coalition, but it is will early.
7.30: WHITLAM 17,658 votes counted (6 of 53 polling places returned, 2.22% counted)
- HUNT (Greens) 1420 (firsty preference)
- MANDELSON (Nationals) 940
- HARTMAN (Equal Parenting) 307
- JONES (Labor) 9511
- PINSUTI (Nile Group) 673
- HEWITT (Liberal) 3804
Sitting member Stephen Jones looking strong.
7.22: Parliamentary Secretary for the Illawarra Gareth Ward on Gilmore _
“Too close to call. This is exactly what happened in the last election. The small booths distort the result with the lager booths come.’’
7.10: GILMORE 21,105 votes counted (17 of 65 places returned, 8.52% counted)
- RYAN (Nile Group) 1063 (first preference)
- SUDMALIS (Liberal) 8582
- McCALLUM (Greens) 2080
- PHILLIPS (Labor) 8412
7.05: CUNNINGHAM 11,770 votes counted (1 of 49 polling places returned, .42% counted)
- BLAKEY (Greens) 1626 (first preference
- WATERS (Science) 252
- BLICAVS (Liberal) 3353
- RYAN (Nile Group) 418
- BIRD (Labor) 5377
- FLANAGAN (Equal Parenting) 160
A strong start for sitting member Sharon Bird.
7.00: GILMORE 11,508 votes counted (4 of 65 places returned, 1.45% counted)
- RYAN (Nile Group) 495 (first preference)
- SUDMALIS (Liberal) 4558
- McCALLUM (Greens) 1296
- PHILLIPS (Labor) 4631
A tight contest so far in Gilmore.
6.55: First results are in, but still preliminary _
WHITLAM 1180 votes counted (2 of 53 polling places returned, .37% counted)
- HUNT (Greens) 115 (firsty preference)
- MANDELSON (Nationals) 146
- HARTMAN (Equal Parenting) 14
- JONES (Labor) 356
- PINSUTI (Nile Group) 40
- HEWITT (Liberal) 434
6.40: First results are in, but only very preliminary _
GILMORE 160 votes counted (1 of 65 places returned, .14% counted)
- RYAN (Nile Group) 8 (first preference)
- SUDMALIS (Liberal) 90
- McCALLUM (Greens) 21
- PHILLIPS (Labor) 41
Promising early sign for sitting member Ann Sudmalis.
6.35:
Parliamentary Secretary for the Illawarra Gareth Ward _
“It’s going to be a close result here in Gilmore with the Labor Party telling every lie into scaring people into voting for them. That’s not a way to win an election. I think the Prime Minister will certainly be returned tonight.’’ Mr Ward St George's Scout Hall.
6.25:
Labor Keira MP and NSW Shadow Treasurer Ryan Park _
“I’m feeling positive, but it’s going to be tough. Here in Cunningham Sharon Bird has worked hard and that’s been proven by what we’ve heard at the booths. Overall, across the country, it’s going to be tough. We’re the underdog and I’ll be glued to the outcome.’’ Mr Park voted at Corrimal High School and helped set up the booth at the Holy Spirit High School in the early hours of this morning.
6.10: Picture: Adam McLean.
5.45:
5.25: A live video with Stephen Jones. Results will start coming in soon ……….
4.30:
Sitting Coalition member Ann Sudmalis has shortened (no pun intended) to $1.22 to retain the seat of Gilmore on election markets at Sportsbet.com.au. Challenger and Labor candidate Fiona Phillips has drifted out to $4. Labor’s Sharon Bird is an unbackable $1.001 for the seat of Cunningham as is Labor’s Stephen Jones in the seat of Whitlam. FOLLOW OUR LIVE TWITTER FEED ABOVE.
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TAKE OUR POLL:
9.40am: Tell us, where are the best sausage sizzles in the Illawarra on election day? Leave a tip in the comments below.
9.30am: If you’re still not sure who to vote for, here are your Cunningham, Whitlam and Gilmore candidates at a glance.
9.20am: It is feeding time at the zoo, finally. It is election day. For entertainment in the long queues while you are waiting to vote today, try this political game.
9.10am: Support for same-sex marriage has surged to a record high, while Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has received a late boost with the Coalition's plan to hold a plebiscite also backed by a thumping majority of Australian voters.
9.10am: Take your own pen, if you are worried about vote tampering.
In Australia, all booths provide lead pencils. But it is not against the law to take your own pen with you, says the Australian Electoral Commission.
During the Brexit vote in the UK, some members of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) worried that votes in pencil would be tampered with by spies from MI5, the spy agency. (No mention of James Bond 007). Conspiracy theorists urged people to take black pens into the polling station.
We use pencils for practical reasons: They last, they don't mind the cold, they don't mind the heat, and they last longer than pens.
8.30am: Fewer than one in five voters think Bill Shorten will win the election, yet around half intend to give his party either their first or second preference, according to the final Fairfax-Ipsos poll on the eve of the election.
The contradiction points to a looming dead heat that has lifted the potential for Saturday's election to deliver either a shock Labor win, a narrow Coalition victory, or a hung Parliament with no side commanding a majority in the House of Representatives.
Stay with us throughout the day as we bring you the latest election coverage across the Illawarra.
Find out where the polling places are in your electorate
About 7000 polling places will be operating from 8am to 6pm on election day, Saturday, July 2.